Card-index tray or cabinet.



PATENTBD MAY 26 1903.

W. H. TUCKER. CARD INDEX TRAY 0R CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1902.

K0 IODEL.

"Hill!!! UTTED STATES Patented May 26, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CARD-INDEX TRAY OR CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,242, dated May 26, 1903. Application filed November 26, 1902. Serial No. 132,932- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. TUCKER, of Ilion, county of Herkimer, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card-Index Trays or Cabinets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in card-index trays or cabinets, and has for its object to provide a new and improved means for locking the sliding follower or block on the track or way in the tray or file, whereby the follower may bereadily locked at any desired position on said track or way, to hold the cards or other articles in proper position within the tray when not being referred to.

To this end the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, all as will be now described, and the particular features of novelty pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a card-index tray embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross'section of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the follower, showing the plate by which the follower is slidably connected to the track or way and upon which the locking-lever is pivoted. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a modified form of locking means. Fig. 5 is a view of a further modification of lock.

Like letters of reference'in the several figures indicate the same parts.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A indicates a drawer or tray for the index-cards or other articles, said drawer being of any usual or preferred construction. Extending longitudin allyalon the bottom of said drawer is a track or way,'which may be of any desired construction, that illustrated consisting of two longitudinal grooves a a in the bottom of the tray, leaving a centrally-raised portion or ridge a, upon which is secured a track or plate a whose edges extend partly over the grooves a a.

The follower B, which is of the usual form, has secured to the bottom thereof a plate b having inwardly-turned edges Z), which are adapted to enter the grooves a a in the bottom of the drawer or tray A, and embrace the edges of the plate a", whereby the follower may be slid along said plate or track, but will be prevented from being separated there= from, as will be readily understood.

. Pivotally secured to the rear side of the fol= lower B to swing in a plane parallel with the follower is a cam or eccentric 0, provided with an upwardly-extending operating-handle C, by the movement of which in one direction said eccentric or cam C will be caused to clamp tightly against the track or plate a thus locking the follower from movement along the track, as will be readily understood. A movement of the handle 0 in the opposite direction will release said cam or eccentric and cause the follower to be slid along the track, said follower having a cut-away portion. I) to permit the handle 0 to be readily reached for operating the cam.

In order to prevent wear on the follower B by the movement of the cam or eccentric 0,

there is preferably interposed therebetween a plate which is preferably formed integral with the plate which secures the follower to the track or way by bending up a portion 0 of said plate, the cam or eccentric being pivoted to said portion 0 by the pivot-pin 0 as shown.

As usual in this class of indexes, the cards are provided with suitable holes or openings, through which passes a guide-rod extending from back to front of the tray or box, and these openings in the cards and said guide-rod are of any desired shape or form. In the present instance there is shown a guide-rod E, circular in cross-section, passing through similar-shaped holes in the cards or indexes. To permit the passage of said guide-rod E, the follower is perforated, and the cam or eccentric C is formed with an opening 0 the portion a of the plate If being likewise formed with an opening 0 to permit the passage of the guide-rod.

In Figs. 4 and 5 there is illustrated a modification of the locking means for lockin g the follower in adjusted position. In this 0011- struotion a transversely-movable member or plate F is adapted to be moved parallel with the follower. In the upper portion of said member isan inclined way or slot f, Workin g on the headed studs f, secured to the follower. For moving said plate or member F, I preferably employ a lever F, pivoted to the plate F having a slot f in its lower end in which projects a pin f on the plate or member F. As will be understood, when the lever F is moved in one direction the member F will be caused to wedge against the track-plate a and lock the follower thereto, and when said lever is moved in the other direction said member will be freed from the track-plate and the follower may then be slid along the track-plate. Instead of employing the pivoted lever for moving said member it may be formed with an integral handle or extension f, by which it may be moved, as will be readily understood from an inspection of Fig. 5. In both these structures the movable member or plate is like the structure previously described, provided with an opening for the passage of the guide-rod.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' 1. In a card-index,the combination with the card receptacle or tray, a track therein, a follower slidable on said track, the locking member carried by said follower and movable in a plane parallel therewith and adapted to be brought into direct binding engagement with the track-plate to lock the follower thereto, aguide-rod for the cards, said locking member provided with an opening for the passage of the guide-rod; substantially as described.

2. In a card-index,the combination with the card receptacle or tray, of a track in said tray, a follower slidable thereon, a pivoted lockinglever carried by said follower to swing in a plane parallel with the follower and adapted to be brought into direct binding engagement with the track-plate to lock the follower thereto, a guide-rod for the cards, said locking-lever provided with an opening for the passage of the guide-rod; substantially as described.

3. In a card-index, the combinationwith the card receptacle or tray, the track therein, the follower slidable thereon, the eccentric or cam pivoted to said follower to swing in a plane parallel thereto, and adapted to be brought into direct binding engagement with the track to lock the follower thereto, the guide-rod, said cam or eccentric provided with an opening for the passage of the guide-rod substantially as described.

4:. In a card-ind eX, the combination with the tray or box, the track therein, the follower slidable on said track, the eccentric or camlever pivoted to said follower above the track or way, to swing transversely of the follower, and adapted to be moved into binding-contact with the track to lock the follower on the track, the guide-rod for the cards, said cam or eccentric provided with an opening for the passage of the guide-rod; substantially as described.

5. In a card-index, the combination with the tray or box, the track-plate therein, the plate secured to the bottom of the follower having the inturned edges for securing the follower to the track, said plate formed with an upturned portion and the locking-lever pivoted to said upturned portion of the plate; substantially as described.

WILLIAM H. TUCKER;

\Vitnesses G. S. PALMER,

T. A. BATES. 

